Robena Grant on Writer Wednesday

Writer Wednesday with Robena Grant

Writer Wednesday is that day I get the chance to share writer friends with you. Today I’m thrilled to have Robena Grant with me. She’s the author of the Desert Heat series, which includes Unlock the Truth and The Blue Dolphin.

My friend, author Robena Grant.

CA: What made you decide to write a novel?
RG: I took a class at UCLA Extension with my then 18-year-old daughter. I thought it was to learn how to write. I didn’t know I was supposed to be working on a novel. So I ran home and started to write, and that became my first finished manuscript. : )

CA: Wow, what a jolt to the system! What genre do you write in, and why?
RG: I write contemporary romance, but I’m always mixing genres. I like stories about people in the world as I know it, and enjoy the journey that young lovers take, or the leap of faith with the second chance at love from an older heroine. I’ve written women’s fiction, paranormal, romantic suspense, and am now venturing into contemporary romance with a magical realism thread.

CA: Is this a series or standalone book? If a series, what is the name of this series, and how many books/short stories do you have planned?
RG: Unlock the Truth is Book #1 of the Desert Heat Series, #2 is The Blue Dolphin, and #3: Desert Exposure. I think of them as spin-offs, a series linked by location and secondary characters who clamor to have their story told. The books can be read out of order.

CA: Ooh, very cool. So there’s really no limit on the number of books you could write in that series! Where would you live, if you could live anywhere in the world? RG: Italy, no France…no, wherever, but I’d want good plumbing, phone, and internet. : )

CA: If you could have dinner with any person, living or dead or fictional, who would it be and where would you go to eat? RG: Ernest Hemingway. We’d go to Aux Deux Magots, on Boulevard St-Germain…not so much for the food but for the espresso and the people watching. Then we’d gossip about everyone.

CA: Wouldn’t that be totally fascinating? And I’m sure he’d be drinking whiskey! If you could give just one piece of advice to a writer starting out, what would it be? RG: Always be working on something fresh while you’re submitting something you’ve finished.

CA: Excellent advice! What do you do when you’re not writing? Do you have a Day Job? RG: I’m retired from the workforce. Writing is now my full-time job. I volunteer on several committees in my community, like to exercise, attend book club, hang out with friends, take in a movie, or lunch, and travel whenever and wherever I can.

CA: Sounds like an Awesome life! Now…Name one thing your fans would be surprised to learn about you.
RG: I like karaoke, but I can’t sing.

CA: Is there anything else you’d like to talk about?
RG: Just to mention that Unlock the Truth and The Blue Dolphin are available for Kindle readers. It’s an Amazon three month exclusive with KDP Select, then in May they will be released in print and all digital formats through Wild Rose Press Publishers. Desert Exposure is TBA, but it will also be released in 2013.

How exciting, to have three novels come out in one year! Let’s take a look at Unlock the Truth.

BLURB: Dena Roman needs closure. Three months ago, her sister’s murdered body was found in the California desert. When a second body is found at the same site, Dena jeopardizes her public relations position to go undercover and investigate. But falling for the main suspect isn’t part of her plan.

Zeke Cabrera needs help. He sold a portion of his family’s Three C’s Estates to keep his citrus farm afloat, but when bodies are unearthed on the site, he’s suspected of murder. Help comes in the form of a communications expert who makes all the difference in his life and business–and in his heart.

Amidst an attack on her life and run-ins with a cantankerous foreman, Dena digs for the truth, even as she forms a strong bond with Zeke. But can their newly found love survive all the deep secrets hidden at Three C’s Estates?

And The Blue Dolphin:

BLURB: When Debbie Williams discovers a dismembered body in the dumpster behind her health spa, she’s determined to find out what happened. As a single parent, she must be sure the town she loves is safe for her daughter. Debbie won’t be deterred by anyone–not even the ruggedly handsome agent on the case who doesn’t appreciate her amateur sleuthing.

After his partner’s body is uncovered, DEA agent Jack Davis vows revenge. But three words shouted over the phone before his partner died–azul, delfin, Almagro–are Jack’s only clues. Even worse, a sexy blonde spa owner refuses to stay out of his investigation, and the chemistry between them is difficult to ignore.

As danger strikes ever closer, Jack and Debbie must figure out what blue dolphins and a small California desert town have to do with a dangerous drug cartel…all while protecting their hearts from an attraction neither can resist.

More About Robena:
Robena Grant is Australian by birth but resides in Southern California. She has two adult children, loves travel, and enjoys writing stories about ordinary women faced with extraordinary circumstances. She may be contacted at: www.robenagrant.com where she blogs on a slice of life on Mondays. Also, FB, Twitter, Google+.

I wait with bated breath, Ms. Marshall. : ) I’m waiting patiently to hear what you think about my stories. And yes, I know you love the desert. We’re going to have to go to TB’s again…I need Maryland crabcakes. Ha ha.

Hi, Sally. I do have one story finished and set partially on the island of Corsica. I’m going to pitch it at the SoCal conference next month. Hope I get a nibble because I LOVED writing that darn story. My WIP is set in London. : )

I have two of your books TBR on my Kindle. Can’t wait to dive into them. Loved the interview, Robena and Christine! Your advice is spot on. Writers write. Need to keep stories going, even while waiting for publication!!

Thanks for coming by, Charlene. I’m always impressed with how authors like you can juggle the promotion, the new writing, the copyedits, volunteering, doing it all over again, and yet seem so relaxed. Hmmm. Wonder if I’ll ever achieve that status? Relaxed writer. I want that. : )

Robena — great post (and good questions Christine!) … I’d also love Italy and France. Loving your story blurbs … especially Blue Dolphin … sounds like a great read. Will have to pick this up – thanks for adding to my TBR pile!

Hi Shelley, thanks for stopping by. My daughter was eighteen at the time and home for the summer from college. She had a wonderful story started but never did finish the manuscript. She’s now in her early thirties and often thinks about getting back to the writing. Maybe she’ll be a late bloomer like me. ; )

Thanks, Terri. From your mouth to publisher’s ears. Ha ha. Hey, I hope you feel better. I saw on ReFab where you went home to crawl into bed. : ( I hate bugs. Have just shaken off one and hope that’s it for the season.

Great interview, Roben! Loved Unlock the Truth and am starting on Blue Dolphin! Hey, may I come to Aux Deux Magots, with you and Earnest? What would be cooler than Hemingway in Paris? A Moveable Feast!

You will, Robin. Just put it on your wish list. And as my mother in law says, “Europe isn’t going anywhere there’s always next year, or the one after that.” : ) And thanks so much, I’m happy that you enjoyed the book.